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Canadian Standards: Getting Kicked Out Over Down Syndrome

A university professor in Ontario might have to leave the country because his son has Down syndrome. The father of the boy, Felipe Montoya, is a Canadian professor who has applied for permanent residency in the country. He says that his son's condition makes him inadmissible to Canada because of the potential burden that he might place on the system. Canadians need to be careful about who they allow to be a strain on their socialized health care system. Immigration lawyers say that if an entire family is applying for residency, then all of their applications can be refused if there is inadmissibility found with one of the individuals.

The family have been living in Canada for four years now and they question the calculation of just how much money their son might cost taxpayers in the future. The Toronto York University professor says that the current rules are “outdated” and he suggests that they be revised so as not to exclude those with disabilities. There are many similar stories like this in Canada, where individuals are separated from families or faced with the consequence of having to leave if they are found to pose too much of a financial strain on the collective.

Montoya and his family filed for permanent residency roughly three years ago, for him and his two children. He says that his son having Down syndrome was promptly disclosed; confirmed by doctors who were required for the application process. The family eventually received a letter saying that there was reason to believe that their son might “cause excessive demand on social services in Canada.” For now there are still a few strategies left that the Montoya family can explore. The family says that they are preparing for a number of outcomes, even if that means having to go back to Costa Rica.